Stability properties of the CuS2-FeS2 solid solution series of pyrite type

Summary Experimental investigations on the Cu-Fe-substitution and the formation of a solid solution series in the system CuS₂-FeS₂ were carried out under hydrothermal conditions up to 350°C and 3 kb and by means of a piston cylinder apparatus at higher temperatures and pressures up to 900°C and 45 kb. Under dry conditions at 440°C and above 17 kb the system was found to be binary with a miscibility gap between an iron-rich phase near the FeS₂ end-member and a coexisting copper-rich phase being the solvus composition of a homogeneity region from 75 to 100 mole% CuS₂. This solvus of the copper rich phase was found to be almost independent of temperature and pressure up to 45 kb and 700°C. The solubility of CuS₂ in FeS₂ at 45 kb increases from 0.6 mole% at 700°C to 4.5 mole% at 900°C. Under hydrothermal conditions up to 3 kbars the solvus of metastable (Cu, Fe)S₂ is strongly dependent on pressure only in the Cu-rich part of the system.

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Zusammenfassung Stabilität der CuS₂-FeS₂ Mischreihe des Pyrit-Typs Experimentelle Untersuchungen zur Cu-Fe-Substitution und zur Bildung einer festen Lösung im System CuS₂-FeS₂ wurden mit der Hydrothermalsynthese bis 350°C und 3 kb und mit der Stempelzylindermethode bis 900°C und 45 kb durchgeführt. Unter trockenen Bedingungen bei 440°C und oberhalb 17 kb ist dieses System binär und weist eine Mischungslücke zwischen einer eisenreichen Phase nahe dem FeS₂ Endglied und einer koexistierenden kupferreichen Phase mit der Solvuszusammensetzung eines Homogenitätsbereiches zwischen 75 und 100 mol% CuS₂ auf. Dieser Solvus der kupferreichen Phase wurde bis 45 kb und 700°C nahezu druck- und temperaturunabhängig gefunden. Demgegenüber nimmt die Löslichkeit von CuS₂ in FeS₂ bei 45 kb von 0.6 mol% bei 700°C auf 4.5 mol% bei 900°C zu. Der Solvus der metastabilen (Cu, Fe)S₂-Phasen, die bislang nur unter hydrothermalen Bedingungen synthetisiert werden können, zeigte bis 3 kbar nur im kupferreichen Teil des Systems eine starke Druckabhängigkeit.

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With 4 Figures     

Heterogeneous electron-transfer kinetics with synchrotron Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy

In the first known kinetic application of the technique, synchrotron ⁵⁷Fe-Mössbauer spectroscopy was used to follow the rate of heterogeneous electron transfer between aqueous reagents and a solid phase containing Fe. The solid, a synthetic ⁵⁷Fe-enriched Fe(III)-bearing pyroaurite-like phase having terephthalate (TA) in the interlayer [Mg₃Fe(OH)₈(TA)_0.5 · 2H₂O], was reduced by Na₂S₂O₄ and then reoxidized by K₂Cr₂O₇ by means of a novel flow-through cell. Synchrotron Mössbauer spectra were collected in the time domain at 30-s intervals. Integration of the intensity obtained during a selected time interval in the spectra allowed sensitive determination of Fe(II) content as a function of reaction time. Analysis of reaction end member specimens by both the synchrotron technique and conventional Mössbauer spectroscopy yielded comparable values for Mössbauer parameters such as center shift and Fe(II)/Fe(III) area ratios. Slight differences in quadrupole splitting values were observed, however. A reactive diffusion model was developed that fit the experimental Fe(II) kinetic data well and allowed the extraction of second-order rate constants for each reaction. Thus, in addition to rapidly collecting high quality Mössbauer data, the synchrotron technique seems well suited for aqueous rate experiments as a result of the penetrating power of 14.4 keV X-rays and high sensitivity to Fe valence state.     

Theoretical studies of the electronic structure of copper in tetrahedral and triangular coordination with sulfur

Molecular orbital calculations are presented for the copper-sulfur polyhedral clusters CuS ₄ ^7? , CuS ₄ ^6? , CuS ₃ ^5? and CuS ₃ ^4? , which occur in many minerals. Calculated and experimental optical and X-ray energies are found to be in good agreement. The crystal field orbitals of Cu⁺ in tetrahedrally coordinated sulfides are found to be less tightly bound than the S3p nonbonding orbitals by about 2–3 eV whereas the e and t ₂ crystal field orbitals are split by about 1 eV. The crystal field splitting of Cu²⁺ in tetrahedral coordination is about 0.7–0.8 eV while the separation of the S3p nonbonding orbitals and the partially filled t ₂ crystal field orbital is about 2 eV. In triangular coordination both the Cu⁺ and Cu²⁺ crystal field orbitals are more stable than in tetrahedral coordination, more widely split and more strongly mixed with the S3p orbitals. CuS is shown to be unstable as the mixed oxidation state compound Cu^2+III (Cu^+IV)₂S^2?(S ₂ ^2? ); rather each Cu is predicted to have a fractional oxidation state and partially-empty crystal field orbitals.     

Electronic structures of sulfide minerals — Theory and experiment

The sulfide minerals exhibit a rich diversity in sturctural chemistry and in electrical, magnetic and other physical properties. Models based on molecular orbital theory and incorporating some elements of band theory can be developed to describe the diverse valence electron behavior in these minerals. Qualitative models can be proposed on the basis of observed properties, and the models can be tested and refined using experimental data from X-ray emission and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and quantum mechanical calculations performed on cluster units which form the basic building blocks of the crystals. This approach to chemical bonding in sulfide minerals is illustrated for binary non-transition metal sulfides (ZnS, CdS, HgS, PbS), binary transition metal sulfides (FeS₂, CoS₂, NiS₂, CuS₂ ZnS₂) and more complex sulfides (CuFeS₂, Cu₂S, Ag₂S, CuS, Co₃S₄, CuCo₂S₄, Fe₃S₄). The relationship between qualitative and quantitative theories is reviewed with reference to the pyrite-marcasite-arsenopyrite-loellingite series of minerals. Application of the models to understanding structure-determining principles, relative stabilities, solid solution limits and properties such as color, reflectance and hardness are discussed.     

Phase relations in the systems Ag2S-Cu2S-PbS and Ag2S-Cu2S-Bi2S3 and their mineral assemblages

Phase relations in the ternary systems Ag₂S-Cu₂S-PbS and Ag₂S-Cu₂S-Bi₂S₃ were studied using the silica vacuum technique. In the system Ag₂S-Cu₂S-Bi₂S₃ the phase relations are dominated by join-lines from galena to f.c.c. (Ag_x Cu_2−xS) and b.c.c. (Cu_x Ag_2−xS) at 500°C. With decreasing temperature, galena can coexist with all the phases on the Ag₂S-Cu₂S join. There are six solid solutions, and one new phase, i.e., “C” whose composition is Ag_1.1 Cu_4.8Bi_5.8S₁₂ in the system Ag₂S-Cu₂S-Bi₂S₃ at 500°C. The pavonite (AgBi₃S₅) contains 14 mole% Cu₂S in solid solution, but only 3.0 mole% Ag₂S in CuBi₃S₅ solid solution. The Cu₃Bi₅S₉ ss and wittichenite (Cu₃BiS₃) ss can form join-lines with pavonite as and have the maximum contents of 9.0 and 18 mole% Ag₂S. The most striking feature is the presence of bejaminite as a stable phase with a chemical formula of Ag₂Bi₄S₇ on the Ag₂S-Bi₂S₃ join. AgBiS₂ of the PbS type occupies a fairly large field with a maximum of 23 mole% Cu₂S.     

Copper stable isotopes as tracers of metal-sulphide segregation and fractional crystallisation processes on iron meteorite parent bodies

We report high precision Cu isotope data coupled with Cu concentration measurements for metal, troilite and silicate fractions separated from magmatic and non-magmatic iron meteorites, analysed for Fe isotopes (δ⁵⁷Fe; permil deviation in ⁵⁷Fe/⁵⁴Fe relative to the pure iron standard IRMM-014) in an earlier study (Williams et al., 2006). The Cu isotope compositions (δ⁶⁵Cu; permil deviation in ⁶⁵Cu/⁶³Cu relative to the pure copper standard NIST 976) of both metals (δ⁶⁵Cu_M) and sulphides (δ⁶⁵Cu_FeS) span much wider ranges (−9.30 to 0.99‰ and −8.90 to 0.63‰, respectively) than reported previously. Metal-troilite fractionation factors (Δ⁶⁵Cu_M-FeS = δ⁶⁵Cu_M − δ⁶⁵Cu_FeS) are variable, ranging from −0.07 to 5.28‰, and cannot be explained by equilibrium stable isotope fractionation coupled with either mixing or reservoir effects, i.e. differences in the relative proportions of metal and sulphide in the meteorites. Strong negative correlations exist between troilite Cu and Fe (δ⁵⁷Fe_FeS) isotope compositions and between metal-troilite Cu and Fe (Δ⁵⁷Fe_M-FeS) isotope fractionation factors, for both magmatic and non-magmatic irons, which suggests that similar processes control isotopic variations in both systems. Clear linear arrays between δ⁶⁵Cu_FeS and δ⁵⁷Fe_FeS and calculated Cu metal-sulphide partition coefficients (D_Cu = [Cu]_metal/[Cu]_FeS) are also present. A strong negative correlation exists between Δ⁵⁷Fe_M-FeS and D_Cu; a more diffuse positive array is defined by Δ⁶⁵Cu_M-FeS and D_Cu. The value of D_Cu can be used to approximate the degree of Cu concentration equilibrium as experimental studies constrain the range of D_Cu between Fe metal and FeS at equilibrium to be in the range of 0.05-0.2; D_Cu values for the magmatic and non-magmatic irons studied here range from 0.34 to 1.11 and from 0.04 to 0.87, respectively. The irons with low D_Cu values (closer to Cu concentration equilibrium) display the largest Δ⁵⁷Fe_M-FeS and the lowest Δ⁶⁵Cu_M-FeS values, whereas the converse is observed in the irons with large values D_Cu that deviate most from Cu concentration equilibrium. The magnitudes of Cu and Fe isotope fractionation between metal and FeS in the most equilibrated samples are similar: 0.25 and 0.32‰/amu, respectively. As proposed in an earlier study (Williams et al., 2006) the range in Δ⁵⁷Fe_M-FeS values can be explained by incomplete Fe isotope equilibrium between metal and sulphide during cooling, where the most rapidly-cooled samples are furthest from isotopic equilibrium and display the smallest Δ⁵⁷Fe_M-FeS and largest D_Cu values. The range in Δ⁶⁵Cu_M-FeS, however, reflects the combined effects of partial isotopic equilibrium overprinting an initial kinetic signature produced by the diffusion of Cu from metal into exsolving sulphides and the faster diffusion of the lighter isotope. In this scenario, newly-exsolved sulphides initially have low Cu contents (i.e. high D_Cu) and extremely light δ⁶⁵Cu_FeS values; with progressive equilibrium and fractional crystallisation the Cu contents of the sulphides increase as their isotopic composition becomes less extreme and closer to the metal value. The correlation between Δ⁶⁵Cu_M-FeS and Δ⁵⁷Fe_M-FeS is therefore a product of the superimposed effects of kinetic fractionation of Cu and incomplete equilibrium between metal and sulphide for both isotope systems during cooling. The correlations between Δ⁶⁵Cu_M-FeS and Δ⁵⁷Fe_M-FeS are defined by both magmatic and non-magmatic irons record fractional crystallisation and cooling of metallic melts on their respective parent bodies as sulphur and chalcophile elements become excluded from crystallised solid iron and concentrated in the residual melt. Fractional crystallisation processes at shallow levels have been implicated in the two main classes of models for the origin of the non-magmatic iron meteorites; at (i) shallow levels in impact melt models and (ii) at much deeper levels in models where the non-magmatic irons represent metallic melts that crystallised within the interior of a disrupted and re-aggregated parent body. The presence of non-magmatic irons with a range of Fe and Cu isotope compositions, some of which record near-complete isotopic equilibrium implies crystallisation at a range of cooling rates and depths, which is most consistent with cooling within the interior of a meteorite parent body. Our data therefore lend support to models where the non-magmatic irons are metallic melts that crystallised in the interior of re-aggregated, partially differentiated parent bodies.     

X-ray absorption near-edge spectra of transition metal disulfides FeS2 (pyrite and marcasite), CoS2, NiS2 and CuS2, and their isomorphs FeAsS and CoAsS

Metal K- and L₃-, sulfur K- and arsenic K- and L₃-edge X-ray absorption near-edge spectra of a series of metal disulfides, FeS₂ (both pyrite and marcasite), CoS₂, NiS₂, and CuS₂, and their isomorphs, FeAsS and CoAsS, are presented. The features in this region of these spectra are interpreted using band structure and molecular orbital calculations in terms of the transitions from the 1s or 2p_3/2 state to unoccupied states. The 3d transition metal L₃-edge spectra of these materials show dependence on the degree of multiplet splitting in the final state, and thus offer less information on the electronic ground state. There are substantial differences in the spectra of the isostructural materials, whereas the spectra of the isotopes pyrite and marcasite show several similarities, illustrating the dependence of near-edge region on electronic structure.     

Room temperature Mössbauer analysis of jarosite-type compounds

Powdered samples of some jarosite-type compounds were analysed at room temperature by ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. This group of compounds is described by the formula: MFe₃(SO₄)₂(OH)₆, where M can be H₃O⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺, Ag⁺, NH ₄ ⁺ , Tl⁺, 1/2Pb²⁺ or 1/2Hg²⁺. Although all the spectra were very similar, a linear relationship between the quadrupole splitting and the iron content of the samples was observed for the monovalent jarosite-type compounds.     

Pyrite,marcasite, and arsenopyrite type minerals: Crystal chemical and structural principles

Quantitative molecular orbital (MO) calculations and qualitative perturbational MO arguments are used to interpret the spectra and structure of transition metal dichalcogenides and related compounds. Competition between pyrite (FeS₂), marcasite (FeS₂) and loellingite (FeAs₂) structure types is explained in terms of the number of electrons occupying a set of MO's obtained from the mixing of dianion (A ₂) orbitals and metal (M) dσ orbitals. Direct metal-metal d orbital interaction is argued to be small. Attention is focused upon the M - A - M angles which differ substantially among the three structure types as a consequence of varying numbers of electrons in orbitals which closely resemble the pπ* orbitals of the dianions. Variations in M - A and A - A distances can also be understood in terms of the occupations of this set of MO's. Disulfide valence region photo-emission spectra are interpreted in terms of calculations on MS₆ and S₆ molecular clusters. M3d orbitals are found to progressively approach the S3p orbitals with increasing atomic number of M from Fe to Ni. For CuS₂ comparison of calculation and experiment supports an approximate electron configuration of Cu⁺¹ S ₂ ^?1 .     

Copper valence,structural separation and lattice dynamics in tennantite (fahlore): NMR,NQR and SQUID studies

Electronic and magnetic properties of tennantite subfamily of tetrahedrite-group minerals have been studied by copper nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and SQUID magnetometry methods. The temperature dependences of copper NQR frequencies and line-width, nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate T ₁⁻¹ and nuclear spin-echo decay rate T ₂⁻¹ in tennantite samples in the temperature range 4.2–210 K is evidence of the presence of field fluctuations caused by electronic spins hopping between copper CuS₃ positions via S₂ bridging atom. The analysis of copper NQR data at low temperatures points to the magnetic phase transition near 65 K. The magnetic susceptibility in the range 2–300 K shows a Curie–Weiss behavior, which is mainly determined by Fe²⁺ paramagnetic substituting ions.     

Phase relations in the systems Cu2S-PbS-Bi2S3 and Ag2S-PbS-Bi2S3 and their mineral assemblages

The phase diagrams of the systems Cu₂S-PbS-Bi₂S₃ and Ag₂S-PbS-Bi₂S₃ have been investigated in the present study. The paper is concerned with the complete solid solution between bismuthtite and aikinite above 300°C in the system Cu₂S-PbS-Bi₂S₃. The synthetic phases CuBi₃S₅ and Cu₃Bi₅S₉ have their solid solution ranges in the ternary system with 9 and 26 mole% PbS at maximum, respectively. A complete solid solution between PbS and AgBiS₂ divides the phase diagram of the system Ag₂S-PbS-Bi₂S₃ into two parts: Bi-rich and Ag-rich. All sulfosalt minerals and solid solutions, including pavonite ss, lillianite ss, heyovskyite and benjaminite are on the Bi-rich side. And divarant relations were found between pavonite ss -lillianite ss, benjaminite and bismuthtite as well as between lillianite ss -bismuthtite and galenobismutite. Synthetic experiments using LiCl-KCl flux technique show that when a minor amount of copper (less lwt.%) is added in, many of Ag-and Pb-bismuth sulfosalt minerals, for example, vikingite (Ag₅Pb₈Bi₁₃S₃₀), are synthesized successively, particularly at 400°C. So is heyrovskyite, which has a solid solution range with 3.7 mole% Cu₂S at maximum in the system Cu₂S-PbS-Bi₂S₃.     

Fahlore thermochemistry: Gaps inside the (Cu,Ag)<Subscript>10</Subscript>(Fe,Zn)<Subscript>2</Subscript>(Sb,As)<Subscript>4</Subscript>S<Subscript>13</Subscript> cube

Possible topologies of miscibility gaps in arsenian (Cu,Ag)₁₀(Fe,Zn)₂(Sb,As)₄S₁₃ fahlores are examined. These topologies are based on a thermodynamic model for fahlores whose calibration has been verified for (Cu,Ag)₁₀(Fe,Zn)₂Sb₄S₁₃ fahlores, and conform with experimental constraints on the incompatibility between As and Ag in (Cu,Ag)₁₀(Fe,Zn)₂(Sb,As)₄S₁₃ fahlores, and with experimental and natural constraints on the incompatibility between As and Zn and the nonideality of the As for Sb substitution in Cu₁₀(Fe,Zn)₂(Sb,As)₄S₁₃ fahlores. It is inferred that miscibility gaps in (Cu,Ag)₁₀(Fe,Zn)₂As₄S₁₃ fahlores have critical temperatures several °C below those established for their Sb counterparts (170 to 185°C). Depending on the structural role of Ag in arsenian fahlores, critical temperatures for (Cu,Ag)₁₀(Fe,Zn)₂(Sb,As)₄S₁₃ fahlores may vary from comparable to those inferred for (Cu,Ag)₁₀(Fe,Zn)₂As₄S₁₃ fahlores, if the As for Sb substitution stabilizes Ag in tetrahedral metal sites, to temperatures approaching 370°C, if the As for Sb substitution results in an increase in the site preference of Ag for trigonal-planar metal sites. The latter topology is more likely based on comparison of calculated miscibility gaps with compositions of fahlores from nature exhibiting the greatest departure from the Cu₁₀(Fe,Zn)₂(Sb,As)₄S₁₃ and (Cu,Ag)₁₀(Fe,Zn)₂Sb₄S₁₃ planes of the (Cu,Ag)₁₀(Fe,Zn)₂(Sb,As)₄S₁₃ fahlore cube.     

多壁碳纳米管固相萃取快速检测水样中铅镉铜铁

传统的固相萃取填料应用于环境样品的重金属处理过程中,存在pH不稳定和不同极性萃取物共同萃取较为困难等方面的不足,因此寻找新型固相萃取填料显得尤为重要。本文采用多壁碳纳米管填充固相萃取柱,萃取水中金属元素铅、镉、铜和铁,采用石墨炉原子吸收光谱法测定铅和镉,电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法测定铜和铁。实验考察了多壁碳纳米管的性质、溶液pH值、洗脱溶液、样品流速以及基体效应对测定结果的影响。结果显示:溶液pH=9,1 mol/L硝酸为洗脱溶液,样品流速为2 mL/min时,外径8 nm未修饰的多壁碳纳米管有较好的萃取效率,对溶液中铅、镉、铜和铁的最大吸附容量分别为44.91、42.31、54.68和49.07 mg/g,四种元素的吸附容量均衡;钾、钠、钙、镁离子以及苯和甲苯等基质对四种金属元素的萃取影响不大。方法回收率为95.3%~99.5%,精密度(RSD,n=7)为1.2%~3.2%。本方法采用外径8 nm的多壁碳纳米管固相萃取,与传统萃取方法相比,富集效果好、回收率较高,而且操作简便、准确度高;与前人采用外径20~30 nm的多壁碳纳米管的性能相比,镉和铜的吸附容量更高,还可实现对铁的吸附,且铅、镉、铜和铁四种元素的吸附容量均衡,更适合用于检测水样中的金属元素。     

High-pressure metallization and electronic-magnetic propertiesof hexagonal cubanite (CuFe2S3)

^?57Fe Mössbauer studies at room temperature and temperature-dependent resistance studies have been performed on a natural specimen of cubanite (CuFe₂S₃) in a diamond-anvil cell at pressures up to ～10 GPa. An insulator-metal phase transition occurs in the range 3.4–5.8 GPa coinciding with a previously observed structural transition from an orthorhombic to a hexagonal NiAs (B8) structure. The room temperature data shows that the metallization process concurs with a gradual transition from a magnetically ordered phase at low pressure to a nonmagnetic or paramagnetic phase at high-pressure. The change in magnetic behaviour at the structural transition may be attributed to a reduction of the Fe-S-Fe superexchange angle formed by edge-sharing octahedra occurring in the high-pressure phase. The non-magnetic or paramagnetic metallic phase at high pressure is retained upon decompression to ambient pressure-temperature conditions, indicative of substantial hysteresis associated with the pressure driven orthorhombic→hexagonal structural transition. The pressure evolution of both the ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer hyperfine interaction parameters and resistance behaviour is consistent with the transition from mixed-valence character in the low pressure orthorhombic structure to that of extended-electron delocalization in the hexagonal phase at high-pressure.     

Heavy metal migration at a landfill site,Sarnia, Ontario,Canada—I. Thermodynamic assessment and chemical interpretations

The transition metals Fe, Cu, Zn and Pb have diffused only 10–20 cm into the clay barrier at the Confederation Road landfill compared to 130 cm for porewater chloride. Other major dissolved species, including the alkali and alkaline earth metals, have also diffused out of waste landfill and into clay subsoils more rapidly than the metals. Redox potentials, E_h, indicate strongly reducing conditions (E_h= − 130 mV) in the clayey soil at the subsoil/waste interface and increase to +50 mV at a depth of 45 cm below the interface. pH values are close to 8 within the subsoil but the slightly lower values (7.8–8) near the interface may result from production of organic acids during degradation of the wastes. Thermodynamic analysis of subsoil pore waters indicates that Fe, Cu, Zn and Pb exist primarily as metal-hydroxy complexes of the forms [MeOH]⁺ and [Me(OH)₂]⁰, although a complex of [PbCl]⁺ may be significant, but not predominant. The analysis also demonstrates that the dissolved transition metal concentrations of the subsoil pore waters are controlled at carbonate mineral saturation levels, whereas Fe concentrations in leachate solutions associated with the wastes are controlled at FeS₂ saturation levels.Thermodynamic calculations and E_h-pH diagrams suggest that Fe(OH)₂, Zn(OH)₂ and Pb(OH)₂ are not stable phases in the solids of the subsoil. This means that observed “hydroxide” phases reported in the selective dissolution analysis by Yanful and Quigley (1986) have to be re-evaluated.     

Minerals with Brackebuschite-Like Structures: A Novel Solid Solution System Involving Cr<Superscript>6+</Superscript> and V<Superscript>5+</Superscript>

A novel complex continuous system of solid solutions involving vauquelinite Pb₂Cu(CrO₄)(PO₄)(OH), bushmakinite Pb₂Al(VO₄)(PO₄)(OH), ferribushmakinite Pb2Fe³⁺(VO₄)(PO₄)(OH), and a phase with the endmember formula Pb₂Cu(VO₄)(PO₄)(H₂O) or Pb₂Cu(VO₄)(РО₃ОН)(ОН) is studied based on samples from the oxidation zone of the Berezovskoe, Trebiat, and Pervomaisko-Zverevsky deposits in the Urals, Russia. This is the first natural system in which chromate and vanadate anions show a wide range of substitutions and the most extensive solid solution system involving (CrO₄)^2– found in nature. The major couple substitution is Cr⁶⁺ + Cu²⁺ ? V⁵⁺ + M³⁺, where M = Fe, Al. The correlation coefficients calculated from 125 point analyses are: 0.96 between V and (Fe + Al), 0.96 between Cr and (Cu + Zn),–0.96 between V and (Cu + Zn),–0.97 between Cr and (Fe + Al), and–0.97 between (Fe + Al) and (Cu + Zn). The substitutions V⁵⁺ ? Cr⁶⁺ (correlation coefficient–0.98) and to a lesser extent P⁵⁺ ? As⁵⁺ (correlation coefficient–0.86) occur at two types of tetrahedral sites, whereas the metal–nonmetal/metalloid substitutions, i.e., V or Cr for P or As, are minor. The substitution Fe³⁺ ? Al³⁺ is also negligible in this solid solution system.     

The electronic structures of the pyrite-type disulphides (MS2, where M = Mn,Fe, Co,Ni, Cu,Zn) and the bulk properties of pyrite from local density approximation (LDA) band structure calculations

A local density approximation (LDA) band structure method, the Linear Muffin-Tin Orbital Atomic Sphere Approximation (LMTO-ASA) method has been used to calculate the electronic structures of the pyrite-type disulphides (MS₂, where M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn). The total density of states has been calculated for 10 eV above and below the Fermi Level, along with the separate contributions from metal and sulphur and shows that the metal d band occurs above the sulphur p bands in MnS₂, FeS₂, CoS₂ and NiS₂, whereas in CuS₂, the d band passes through the sulphur p band and in ZnS₂, it lies below the sulphur p band. Substantial hybridization of the metal d states with the sulphur states occurs. FeS₂ is calculated to be a semiconductor with a direct band gap of 0.64 eV in good agreement with experiment. The calculated local densities of states have been used in turn to calculate X-ray photoelectron spectra and Bremsstrahlung Isochromat spectra for this series of compounds, and these also show reasonable agreement with experimental data. A particular strength of the LMTO-ASA method is the ability to calculate and predict certain bulk properties of solids of interest in mineral physics. This has enabled the first reasonably accurate calculations of the total energy of the valence electrons of the system for pyrite (FeS₂), given as — 345.885 rydbergs per unit cell, and the equilibrium unit cell volume which is within 3.3% of that determined experimentally. A theoretical pressure vs. volume curve for pyrite was also calculated along with values for the bulk modulus. However, our calculations predict a bulk modulus of 6.75 Mbar which is too high by a factor of 4.6 due to the simplifying assumption of a uniform scaling of interatomic distances on compression.     

Fast ion conduction character and ionic phase-transitions in disordered crystals: the complex case of the minerals of the pearceite–polybasite group

The minerals of the pearceite–polybasite group, general formula (Ag,Cu)₁₆ M ₂S₁₁ with M = Sb, As, have been recently structurally characterized. On the whole, all the structures can be described as a regular succession of two module layers stacked along the c axis: a first module layer (labeled A), with general composition [(Ag,Cu)₆(As,Sb)₂S₇]²⁻, and a second module layer (labeled B), with general composition [Ag₉CuS₄]²⁺. In detail, in the B layer of the pearceite structure silver cations are found in various sites corresponding to the most pronounced probability density function locations of diffusion-like paths. We have shown for the first time that the observed structural disorder in the B layer is strongly related to the fast ion conduction character exhibited by these minerals. This paper reports an integrated XREF, DSC, CIS and EPMA study on all the members of the pearceite–polybasite group. DSC and conductivity measurements pointed out that the 222 members show ionic-transitions at 340 K (arsenpolybasite-222) and 350 K (polybasite-222), whereas the 221 members have transitions at lower temperature, that is, 310–330 K (arsenpolybasite-221) and 335 K (polybasite-221). For the 111 members (pearceite and antimonpearceite), the transition occurs below room temperature at 273 K. In situ single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments showed that these minerals present the same high temperature structure and are observed at room temperature either in their high temperature (HT) fast ion conductivity form or in one of the low temperature (LT) fully ordered (222), partially ordered (221) or still disordered (111) forms, with transition temperatures slightly above or below room temperature. The pearceite–polybasite group of minerals can be considered as a homogeneous series with the same aristotype, fast ion conducting form at high temperature. Depending upon the Cu content, an ordering occurs with transition temperatures related to that content: the lower the Cu content, the higher the transition temperature from the fast ion conducting HT form to the non-ion conducting form.Electronic supplementary material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Compositional dependence of the hyperfine interaction of 57Fe in anthophyllite

Hyperfine parameters of ⁵⁷Fe in anthophyllites (Mg²⁺, Fe²⁺)₇ Si₈O₂₂(OH, F)₂ mainly depend on the amount of Al present in the structure. The quadrupole splitting of the doublet due to Fe²⁺ in M1, M2 and M3 decreases systematically with the Al content, whereas that of the doublet due to Fe²⁺ in M4 and the half-width of the combined M1, M2, M3 doublet increases. Structurally these variations suggest that, with the incorporation of Al (miscibility towards gedrite), the distortion of the M4 polyhedron decreases, whereas the M1, M2 and M3 polyhedra become more distorted and dissimilar.     

The crystal and magnetic structure of Li-aegirine LiFe3+Si2O6: a temperature-dependent study

Single crystals of Li-aegirine LiFe³⁺Si₂O₆ were synthesized at 1573?K and 3?GPa, and a polycrystalline sample suitable for neutron diffraction was produced by ceramic sintering at 1223?K. LiFe³⁺Si₂O₆ is monoclinic, space group C2/c, a=9.6641(2)?Å, b= 8.6612(3)?Å, c=5.2924(2)?Å, β=110.12(1)^° at 300?K as refined from powder neutron data. At 229?K Li-aegirine undergoes a phase transition from C2/c to P2₁ /c. This is indicated by strong discontinuities in the temperature variation of the lattice parameters, especially for the monoclinic angle β and by the appearance of Bragg reflections (hkl) with h+k≠2n. In the low-temperature form two non-equivalent Si-sites with 〈SiA–O〉=1.622?Å and 〈SiB–O〉=1.624?Å at 100?K are present. The bridging angles of the SiO₄ tetrahedra O3–O3–O3 are 192.55(8)° and 160.02(9)° at 100?K in the two independent tetrahedral chains in space group P2₁ /c, whereas it is 180.83(9)° at 300?K in the high-temperature C2/c phase, i.e. the chains are nearly fully expanded. Upon the phase transition the Li-coordination changes from six to five. At 100?K four Li–O bond lengths lie within 2.072(4)–2.172(3)?Å, the fifth Li–O bond length is 2.356(4)?Å, whereas the Li–O3?A bond lengths amount to 2.796(4)?Å. From ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopic measurements between 80 and 500?K the structural phase transition is characterized by a small discontinuity of the quadrupole splitting. Temperature-dependent neutron powder diffraction experiments show first occurrence of magnetic reflections at 16.5?K in good agreement with the point of inflection in the temperature-dependent magnetization of LiFe³⁺Si₂O₆. Distinct preordering phenomena can be observed up to 35?K. At the magnetic phase transition the unit cell parameters exhibit a pronounced magneto-striction of the lattice. Below T _N Li-aegirine shows a collinear antiferromagnetic structure. From our neutron powder diffraction experiments we extract a collinear antiferromagnetic spin arrangement within the a–c plane.